Exploring the world on and off road

December 10, 2012

Road Holland Clothing and Coffee

Road Holland is a cycling clothing company out of Florida. Their motto is “Serious and Stylish Cycling Wear”. I now own 3 of their Den Haag jerseys which I like to wear when I am sick of skin tight team clothing or just want something a bit different for the ride. The wool/poly blend is extremely comfortable, it wicks extremely well and doesn’t make you feel like you are wearing a 2nd layer of skin.

My orange Den Haag jersey

I’m also a big fan of the retro look, harkening back to the “old days” (or golden era if you wish) of cycling and reminding me of all those black and white photos I loved growing up as a cycling fan. Unpaved climbs, steel frames, tubulars wrapped around the riders’ shoulders. It kind of reminds me of that.

I’m the first to admit that cycling and coffee can at times come across as a bit cliche, but the ironic thing for me is that after almost 25 years of cycling, it wasn’t cycling that got me into coffee. It was hiking!

There’s nothing like leaving the house before the sun is up to hit the mountains for a 6-7 hour hike. This being New England I’d of course usually hit a Dunkin Donuts for an on the road breakfast. It was these hikes that eventually got me into coffee. I started off knowing very little about coffee. I had no idea what good or bad coffee tasted like, the different roasts, brewing methods, etc.

It was during this time that Concord got it’s first Starbucks too. This was my first experience with bold coffee and coffees from different regions. It encouraged me to to try different coffees and I really started to appreciate the differences from the various coffee producing regions of the world. My favorite right now seems to be Ethiopian coffee and luckily enough I can get that at White Mountain Coffee right here in Concord.

I got the opportunity to from Richard Grossman of Road Holland to review their new Dutch Coffeeshop Blend of coffee.

This smelled awesome right out of the shipping package

So while I only started drinking coffee maybe 7 years ago now, I eventually adopted the idea of “if I am going to do it, I am going to do it right”. That means a quality burr grinder and my personal favorite brewing method, a French Press.

Nice dark roast

I most definitely prefer things on the darker side for a roast. I don’t need or want any “weak” coffees.

Mia bought me this manual grinder a few years ago

My grinder does everything from from a nice coarse grind all the way up to a super fine espresso grind. Having no motor, it really keeps the beans from getting heated up, which can adversely affect the flavor.

Coarse grind

I generally go with roughly 2 tablespoons of coffee for every 8oz of water.

Bodum French Press

I brew my coffee every morning with this guy. It really helps to bring out the flavors compared to a drip machine. I’ve gotten the whole process down to a routine now.

Brewing!

add hot water and wait four minutes, then plunge.

I like it black

I prefer my coffee black. No hiding the flavor with sugar or cream. I want to taste what I refer to as the “earthiness” of the bean.

This roast has a nice balance. It is not super bold, but it’s no weakling either. The dark roast adds a nice subtle flavor to the cup. It makes a great breakfast coffee, but also a nice afternoon treat too.

Paul and I went mountain biking at Bear Brook for 2 hours today and I made a cup of this after I got home. A nice hot cup of coffee, a cat in my lap and a piece of dark chocolate made for a great post ride snack.

I’m going to give this coffee a “heck yeah” for a recommendation. If you like bolder roasts, but don’t want something too deep or overbearing in the flavor department, this is a good coffee to reach for. If Dunkin Donuts is too bold for you, you may want to stay away, but if you like medium roast, this one would be a good intro to roasts on the darker end of the spectrum. If like me, you prefer darker roasts, this one will fall right into the middle of bold and rich.

I’m looking forward to trying it in the Bialetti for an espresso soon. Right now I am brewing it for Mia’s Iced Coffee recipe that she takes to work every day.

I received this coffee from Road Holland free of charge for review. I have made every attempt to give my honest and true opinion of this product.